Thread: D1 swaybar disconnects

Just disconnected my rear swaybar and went and flexed it up a bit.

Swaybars on:


Rear swaybar off:


Need to do a little more trimming


I left the front connected for today, might disconnect and have another look in a day or two


Dobinson HD Coils all round with Dobinson HD shocks. I have the springs tied in at the top, so that is probably limiting travel still

I would just use linkage pins which have the flange on one end and are hardened with a hole made to fit the R clip.

As far as the tension goes, the bit of tubing would put all the tension it needs to just hold the bush into place, we're not talking micro adjustable suspention here on a race car or anything, it's still basically a tractor with springs and the sway bars just take a bit of the roll out of it but are not all that well balanced anyway.

I dont see why they wouldnt be legal while connected.......it's when they are disconnected that they would be illegal.

I think this would come under the "it depends on who you ask" senario

Originally Posted by Boxer

Washer welded to pin wouldn't be a bad idea, but I doubt these will EVER fall apart. I've been a mechanic since the early 90s and have never seen a failed split pin in good condition. As far as adding load to these bushes, I can't really see why they'd need it. They're not weight bearing and when you're on the road, presuming you're not trying to do massive scando flicks into corners, the swaybar bushes really wouldn't be getting loaded or even moved that much.

Weeeell, I think that there are large forces on these bushes on curves , but that is not the point. If you look at the location particularly on the RH side there is very little room between the axle mount and the chassis. The sway bar only has to move a little bit to contact somewhere.
The bushes are all that holds the link at 90% to the axle, with compliance to take up the difference in angle between the axle and sway bar/body on lean. By loosening them a great deal this is gone. Why do you think the factory has a very high compression on these bushes? for fun?

The other thing that bothers me is that I hope that anyone who does disconnect the sway bar does both ends and ties the swaybar out of the way on the chassis.
With one end loose the free end of the bar will move in a completely different arc to when it is attached. Usually one end will go up and the other down with the axle.
With one end detached both ends will move together so that with the attached axle end on the bumpstop the other end of the swaybar will be UP while the axle is DOWN, probably by more than the length of the link, ie it may hit the axle housing or something else.
Regards Philip A

I disconnected both ends and tied them right up out of the way when I did it. I'm going to connect them again today (if it ever stops raining) as I don't think an extra inch of travel outweighs the poor handling on the road. I really wasn't that impressed after yesterdays experiment, as it felt worse over undulating stuff and downright horrible on the black stuff

Originally Posted by Treads

and downright horrible on the black stuff

I felt that way when I disconnected them the first time. However you get used to it pretty quick.

Wasn't there a post here last night where someone said he had a P pin break?
Or is my imagination running riot?
Regards Philip A

Originally Posted by PhilipA

Wasn't there a post here last night where someone said he had a P pin break?
Or is my imagination running riot?
Regards Philip A

Whats a P pin.......dont you mean an R clip....